THE SMILE OF FAMILY

by Ryan Libra

Author’s Notes
I don't own pokemon... It owns me (just kidding!).

- x x x -

CHAPTER 2

“Careful with those poles, you bozos!” barked a pudgy man with a nose the size and color of a tomato. “You want the whole roof to collapse on the customers while they’re eating?”

The object of this man’s ire was a couple of hired help struggling to put up a wooden pole that would serve to support large cinnamon- colored canvas covering. There were others hoisting similar wooden posts, and still more wrestling with the canopy itself.

The fat man dipped a short, stubby finger into a bowl nestled between his ham of a forearm and his ample stomach. He sucked at the chocolate mixture coating his finger and grimaced. “Even the chocolate’s doing a bad job. Alright you Numel-skulls! We have little time left before we go full-throttle on this whole operation. So many tourists out there already, and we’re still warming the pans and serving appetizers! This ain’t no old lady’s kitchen, so hustle! You!” he snapped at a lackey. “Are the supplies there, yet?”

The man trembled. “Not yet, sir.”

“Tarnation!” The man with the tomato-nose almost smashed his bowl on the Numel-skull’s head.” How are we gonna serve the cinnamon and chocolates if we have no supplies! Charmeleon!”

An orange lizard wearing kitchen mitts and an apron appeared in the doorway behind him. The doorway was coughing out plumes of smoke from the kitchen, but the Charmeleon didn’t seem to worry about it.

“Warm those ovens,” the man ordered. “The stuff could be coming anytime soon.”

“Sir, the supplies and other equipment have arrived!” a voice from the kitchen hollered.

“Perfect. We better get cooking, then.”

- x x x -

Wade distractedly took a random item from a box. He and Skye had entered a small shop made from sturdy wooden poles and black canvas covering, where pens containing pokémon from the nearby Yellow Desert grunted curiously at passing tourists. A few of the Sandshrew and Ekans lay in contented curls in the corners of the pens, while Numel, their single humps occasionally spouting fire, stared emptily outside the tent. There were a few scattered items in the two boxes beside the pen, and Skye had spotted something he fancied: a Ground attack-powering Soft Sand he could use for his Gliscor. Beside the thin shopkeeper stood a massive Camerupt with a ribbon on its head and a bell hanging from its collar. The pokémon was the evolved form of Numel, and its two humps looked ready to burst out with boiling magma.

Which was exactly what Wade felt like doing right now.

[Why are you so angry?] a voice slowly asked in his mind.

[Go away,] Wade heatedly answered.

But the voice didn’t. [Go away? How?]

Wade’s anger was suddenly deflated at Slowbro’s simple but somehow profound inquiry.

[I’m just so confused,] he thought sullenly. [I don’t get Skye at all, that moron!]

[But why?] Slowking, Slowbro’s partner in their twiddledum- twiddledee combo, asked. [He’s being very nice.]

[I don’t want him to be nice.] Wade replied. [I just want him to leave me alone.]

[You’re returning his niceness with not being nice?] Slowbro asked. [But that’s not nice.]

Wade laughed at the silliness of it all. It was hard arguing against a Slowbro and a Slowking. Skye glanced at him worriedly and looked like he was concerned about his sanity. Maybe there really was reason to doubt it; after all, what sane person heard voices in his head?

[I wouldn’t pursue the argument further if I were you, Wade,] Umbreon advised, its mental voice a clear sound in his head. [You’ll have more luck winning in a dispute against a rock.]

[Crazy Psychic pokémon,] Gyarados muttered. Wade had to suppress another burst of laughter.

Mental banter between trainer and pokémon was generally impossible; the closest to it were the impressions, feelings, and images that were sometimes exchanged between the two. But not actual thoughts!— well, maybe except Psychic pokémon. Wade had not bothered asking other trainers if they could telepathically communicate with their pokémon; he knew right from the start that it was unnatural. If his Pokémon had been downright flabbergasted the first time he had spoken to them with his mind, he himself had nearly fainted when the idiots began talking back in understandable English.

[You’re scared, Wade,] Slowking said. [You’re scared of getting close and being hurt. But it’s okay to feel like that; after all, we’ve gone through the things that that you’ve gone through. You’d think we’d hate humans after what happened, but no. You’ve shown us that humans aren’t all bad; you’ve shown us that we would grow to love humans because of the care that you’ve given us.]

[What’s not okay,] Slowbro continued, [is for you to keep being scared. It makes you push people away. Skye’s just concerned for you, and maybe it’s time for you to recognize that.]

Wade stared at the Friend Ball he was holding, then flung it back to the box as if it had burned his hand. He glimpsed Skye from the corner of his eye. While paying the shopkeeper, the long-haired teenager gaped at the colossal Camerupt, which flatly stared back. A smile endeavored to curve his lips, but failed.

“Excuse me.” Footsteps approached. Wade regarded the shopkeeper. “I was hoping that you and yer brother could keep watch ov’r me pokémon fer a little while. You see, I seem to have misplaced the oth’r box containing the pokéballs housing me Sandshrew and Numel. Have no one here to help me, and since you two’re me first customers, I was wond’ring if you could stay a while. Yer brother already said yes, so…”

People often mistook them for brothers, and Wade had always kept quiet about it. He supposed that there was no harm in looking after the shop for a bit. He just nodded.

“Great! Thanks, kids! The price list is ov’r there; just make sure that you don’t get swindled by them customers! Besides, being Andies’s boys, you shouldn’t have trouble doing that. Hey Camerupt, guard the shop with these kids, you hear? Roast anyone dumb enough to sneak in to steal me merchandise.” The shopkeeper left.

Wade turned away from Skye. He bemusedly shifted his weight from one foot to the other and tried to be utterly absorbed in the Numel, which, he found out, was dreadfully boring. He pretended to watch the passers-by outside the shop for a few minutes, then suddenly decided to buy food.

“I’ll be back,” he said as he trotted out, which left a baffled Skye alone to deal with the creepy Camerupt. That ribbon and bell sure did nothing to reduce its menacing aura.

The tourists walked the streets in herds, like Tauros ready to trample anything in their way. Wade’s heart nearly rocketed to his head as a Ludicolo bounced in front of him with a twirl of its round, shaggy body. He shot it a glare that could have melted a hole in a wall, causing the dancing pokémon to shrink back behind the shop it came from.

The smell of hotdogs on a grill stopped him in his tracks, and he allowed himself to be guided by the enticing aroma. After procuring four hotdogs from the booth, he hastily retraced his steps back to the Yellow Desert shop and wished that the volcanic monster guarding it hadn’t erupted yet.

“Get back here, you scooting pincushions!”

Something soft scurried past his feet. Wade sighted a pair of Swinub dashing madly away underneath all those legs; it wasn’t long before a few indignant squawks from shocked pedestrians pierced the air. He jumped to the side as two panting women pursued the brown-furred pokémon with a net and pokéballs in their hands. Behind them were a group of men who were running just as fast. Wade flatly stared at the spectacle, shrugged it off, then went back to the shop.

Once there, he tossed two of the sticks to Skye, whose eyebrows climbed up to his hair as he caught the hotdogs.

“What’s this?”

“Food, moron.”

Skye blinked. “I know, but what’s it for?”

“It’s for eating.” Then in a final sort of way, Wade chomped off a chunk from his own.

Skye grinned. “You’re a lot more than you let on, you know that?” Wade ignored the idiot’s remark and instead concentrated on finishing the hotdogs.

A few customers passed by; Wade courteously met them and led them from pen to pen as he showed each of the three different pokémon that could be found in the Yellow Desert: hard-skinned Sandshrew, lithe Ekans, and idle Numel. A couple of them decided to buy, only the price they wanted was so low that Wade got annoyed. A flat stare was all it took for them to pick a pokémon and leave the payment in a terrified scramble. Skye just gaped.

Soon enough, the shopkeeper was back. He dejectedly reported that he couldn’t locate the crate. The thin man offered to pay them for the sales, but Skye waved him off. After saying their goodbyes—Skye’s a cheerful motion while Wade’s a perfunctory flick of his wrist—they left to peruse the other shops.

On their way out, the two spotted a pair of bedraggled women stomping by, their eyebrows so drawn together and their foreheads so furrowed that people leapt out of the way. Wade guessed that they had failed to catch their Swinub.

So many other pokémon shops littered the streets. Chirrups, growls, whines, and trills clashed with the fast music streaking out from the speakers. Skye spotted a pokémon with bizarre eyes that rotated in weird angles and slender wings that were almost translucent. He approached the portly fellow manning the store and asked for the Yanma’s price. Grimacing after hearing it, Skye nevertheless bought the Bug-Flying pokémon and attached its pokéball to his belt.

“Looks like you got yourself a new pokémon, there,” a nasal voice loudly observed. Irritated, Wade turned and impassively regarded an athletic-looking eighteen-year old twirling a blue and white great ball on his index finger. Beside him was a younger lad, maybe the same fourteen that Wade was, who also had a condescending sneer carved on his mouth. A sneer that Wade so badly wanted to wipe off. “It’s too bad that Yanma are really weak pieces of Electabuzz fodder,” the arrogant youth said as he released a mean-looking yellow-furred pokémon with a robust torso and powerful long arms. Jagged streaks of black slashed the yellow monotony of its body and made it look fiercer. A beam of light flashed beside it, and in its place stood the other guy’s pokémon, a dashing Wartortle with its shell gleaming in the sun and its fluffy tail rigid in anticipation of the battle.

What a bunch of conceited jerks. Wade had just the plan to teach these idiots a lesson. Slowbro would fit the part quite nicely…

“Who ever said I’d use Yanma to kick your sorry butts?” Skye said. “I wanted a pokémon to train, and Yanma’s as good a pokémon as any other. But for now, it won’t be the one playing with you guys.” He enlarged a pokéball and released what could almost be described as a Zubat-like creature—it certainly had the wings, ears, and violet body to prove so. Still, Zubat didn’t have fearsome pincers or a stinger on its tail, nor did it command the kind of dreadful presence that this particular pokémon could. “You up for a tag battle, Wade? My Gliscor could use some company.”

“Nothing brightens my day more than giving annoying know-it- alls a good wallop.” A flash of light that appeared beside the Gliscor solidified into a big, round, pink pokemon with a gastropod clamped on its tail. It turned its round, dull eyes at the opposing pokémon and regarded them as if they were a jigsaw puzzle to solve. “Slowbro, show them your stuff.”

[Okay,] the Psychic pokémon benignly replied.

“Psychic on the Electabuzz.”

As Skye’s Gliscor speedily batted its wings at the unsuspecting Wartortle, Wade’s Slowbro broke out of its torpor and got into action. Its eyes glowed a virulent white before an unseen force seemed to crush Electabuzz into a small ball. The Electric monster fell into an unconscious heap, right next to the battered shell of the Wartortle.

Wade quickly recalled Slowbro. [I know. It really wasn’t worth it; they weren’t even half our strength. But maybe next time they’ll think twice about underestimating their enemy.]

Gyarados sniffed in his mind, or at least gave Wade a mental impression of the Atrocious pokémon sniffing. [You should’ve sent me out. They’d never even think of belittling their opponent once I give them a look.]

The formerly overconfident fourteen-year old shook his head in disbelief. “Just one Wing Attack, and Water Crusher’s out! Let’s get the heck out of here!” The two boys dived into the throng of people, where their pitiful scampering faded into the constant march of tourists.

Skye whooped and squeezed Wade in an exuberant Ursaring hug. “We did it! We did it!” Wade thought he heard one of his ribs crack, and Skye’s jumping up and down like a madman made him think that they were going to snap any moment now. “The best teamwork, such fluid motions, what power!—” He suddenly extricated his arms from Wade and wrapped them around his Gliscor, which desperately tried to break free. “You too, Gliscor, you were so great! I’m such a proud trainer having a winner like you on my team!”

“It won’t stay long on your team if you hug it to death,” Wade remarked as he rubbed his ribs. “I swear, you are such a pain!” He grasped the back of Skye’s shirt and hauled him off to the next shop before some idiot spectator could challenge them to another match. “Now move it; you’re blocking the walkway.”

Skye recalled his Gliscor and simply allowed himself to be dragged off. He still had a smile on as he turned around and draped an arm around Wade, who immediately shook it off with a glower.

“Go kiss a Qwilfish or something.” Skye just laughed.

A few more battles obstructed their path, and in exceedingly cramped spaces, no less. There was even a battle against a psychic who had his pokéballs impressively floating around him, though Wade had made short work of his Drowzee and Kadabra. The challenges were quite easy, but this wasn’t really a surprise since Wade’s pokemon were in insanely high levels. Around the fifties, enough perhaps to challenge an Elite Four set from whatever region. Umbreon was his most powerful pokemon; he had been training the Eevee-lution since he was seven years old, and it could hold its own even against the most brutal of Bugs or Fighting types. As for Skye’s own pokemon, Wade wasn’t sure how strong they were, but he was certain that they were as powerful as his own. He could tell as much from how they moved and responded to Skye’s every composed command.

Stupid trainers. Wade had half a mind to clear the way with Gyarados. The serpentine behemoth could just plow them a path devoid of rabid trainers, clingy tourists, and—

He slammed into a shaggy yellow mass with a protruding beak and a funny headdress and ungracefully fell on his behind. Crazy Ludicolo! If the idiot pokémon wasn’t a Water type he’d have Gyarados grind it to pieces! Instead he settled for a freezing glare and a resonant growl.

“You must be hungry,” Skye cheerfully observed.

“I am not.” He shifted said freezing glare to the blonde.

Skye snickered. “C’mon. Why don’t we eat at some fancy place.”

“I’m fine with a burger and fries.”

“I got this back there,” Skye said as he flashed a green pamphlet with a stylized “The Great Gardevoir” written in front, along with pictures of salads with exotic-sounding dressings, entrees with delectable sauces and garnishes, and…

And cakes.

Unable to remove his eyes off the pictures of chocolate- strawberry mousse, vanilla chiffon, and the pineapple rhum cake, Wade felt his sweet tooth call out to him, demanding to be satisfied.

But it was more than that…

- x x x -

“Wade!”

He heard the slight urgency in that whisper. A six-year old Wade turned around, flung his blanket down and bolted up from his small bed. He sneezed as dust tickled his nostrils, but quickly covered his mouth in fear of being found out by the clan henchmen.

“Mama?”

She smiled at him. “I’m glad you’re awake.” She brought out a box, small enough to fit in her palm, and placed it on his bed. Wade’s eyes widened, and his cheeks took on a rosy glow.

“Is it…?”

Mama brought out two plastic forks and sat on the bed. “I thought we could share it.” She had a sweet smile on her tired face. And once the box was opened, a vanilla chiffon with layers of soft white cream greeted them and pleaded to be devoured.

- x x x -

“Wade!”

He started. What was he doing on the ground? Oh, that loony Ludicolo. Skye took his arm and hauled him up. Wade stole a glance at the pamphlet.

“That bump must have rattled you more than I thought,” Skye said. “The best way to remedy that is a full stomach! So you want to try it out?”

Wade looked away. “If you want,” he answered softly. He felt Skye’s unsure pause, and a desire for a question to be answered, but he was grateful when he didn’t say anything.

“What the—!”

Before Wade knew it, Skye had grasped his arms from behind and was steering him this way and that while his mouth went on like a train. “I saw the menu, and my mouth’s watering over that grilled steak with herbed mashed potatoes and homemade gravy! But I can’t decide if I want that or the buttered salmon, I hear they cook it so soft that it really melts in your mouth! Should we order a salad? I’m not big on them, though, but if you want one I guess we could get the one with the crispy noodles.” Wade almost squawked as they nearly collided with a bunch of Mr. Mime acting out a burglary. “I know! Pasta! You want pasta? How about that seafood paella? The pamphlet says that it’s a little spicy…”

A vein twitched in Wade’s head. His eyes narrowed. And he was getting hungry. Irritation and hunger were never a good combination with him. They had better get there soon, because if he had to endure more of Skye’s prattling he would set Gyarados on him.

Gyarados was chortling in his head. [Would you like him frozen? An Ice Fang would be nice. How about pounded into the ground? Then an Aqua Tail would be better. But if you feel like cavorting, a Dragon Dance is the best.]

[Just chew him up.]

- x x x -

The fat man with the tomato-nose gazed out from the open flap in his tent-restaurant. A bowl of chocolate cubes with strawberry bits inside was securely nestled between his forearm and the side of his belly. Munching one and rolling it around with his tongue brought the all-familiar ache for more of his masterpieces. That creamy sensation blending with the sweetness of the crimson gems… It was perfect.

“Ah…” The man licked his lips clean and released a generous burp. He grinned at the crate in front of him and kicked it. Numel and Sandshrew, huh? Both pokémon lived in the Ochre Desert just southeast, so catching them wasn’t exactly much of an effort, but stealing was so much easier. And what about those Swinub? He popped another chocolate cube into his mouth and chewed slowly, allowing the melting chocolate to coat his teeth.

“The next batch should be ready.” And those Mint Berries would do nicely.

- x x x -

For those who’ve reached this far, I guess you’re noticing that this isn’t a trainer journey fic. Despite being different, I hope you give it a chance.

I’d love to hear from you guys! Drop me a line if you have any thoughts, comments, or anything.